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news
21 Feb 2008
More to come from front-running Jones
PARKALGAR HONDA’S Craig Jones vowed there is more speed to come after finishing the opening day of the 2008 World Supersport Championship qualifying in sixth place at the Losail circuit in Qatar.
Teething problems meant the 23-year-old British racer managed only five laps in the opening 45-minute session. Once sorted, he took a measured learning approach in the afternoon to relearn the track and get to grips with his new Honda CBR600RR.
Portuguese Parkalgar Honda ace Miguel Praia suffered similar teething problems in the opening session but was able to make progress in the afternoon. A poor tyre selection hampered the 29-year-old’s efforts and he ended up 26th but with clear direction on how to improve tomorrow. Frenchman Fabien Foret on a Yamaha is on provisional pole position.
The 5.38km long Losail circuit in the Qatar desert hosts the opening round of the World Supersport Championship on Saturday at 1120 CET with coverage widely available on the satellite channel Eurosport.
Craig Jones:
“I am pretty happy with my performance this afternoon after a difficult morning meant I only managed two flying laps in the first session. It took me a couple of laps in the afternoon to learn the apexes and the track again – and on top of that there was a strong gusting wind playing havoc through the corners.
“There is a fair bit more to come tomorrow. The plan is to get back out and up to speed quickly and then start improving from there. Already I think I am a little faster than the timesheets really show as my split times are all good enough for the top three, but because of the wind I never got a chance to post a single good lap. I’m enjoying myself and really looking forward to getting back on track.”
Miguel Praia:
“The early morning session was not as planned but maybe as expected as it is the first session of the first round of the year. We managed to sort these minor problems quickly and I had a good run in the afternoon, although my choice of tyre could have been better.
“My target is to get into the top 20 tomorrow and finish in the top 15 in the race. I am still learning my new bike and have a long way to develop before I am racing at my optimum. Thank you to my team and Craig for all their support, I know we can make fast improvements.”
Practice Times:
1: F Foret, FRA, (Yamaha) 2:03.44
2: J Rea, GBR, (Honda) +0.346
3: M Lagrive, FRA, (Honda) +0.522
4: J Lascorz, ESP, (Honda) +0.848
5: G Nannelli, ITA, (Honda) +0.951
6: CRAIG JONES, GBR, (PARKALGAR HONDA) +1.271
26: MIGUEL PRAIA, POR, (PARKALGAR HONDA) +3.256
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